Le miroir triste

Freely adapted from a few scenes from an unshot scenario by Russian filmmaker Andrey Tarkovksy (1932-1986) entitled Hoffmanniana (1975) and picturing the tormented life of Romantic-era German writer/composer E T A Hoffmann (1776-1822).

A dialogue between Donna Anna (a character from Don Juan by Mozart) and Hoffmann), taken from Hoffmanniana:

— “Have you ever had, if only in a dream, the certitude that everything was possible, that no matter what you could want, it would have to happen? — And that everything would happen if, suddenly, you were to decide to believe that your impression was real?”

— “Yes, but only in a dream.”

— “But is not the dream as real as reality?” she says, smiling. Then, noticing he is not looking at her but at her reflection in the mirror, she turns around and adds: “You should not be looking into mirrors at night.”

Le miroir triste [The Sad Mirror] was realized in the summer of 2007 at the studios of the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe (ZKM) in Germany. It was premiered on December 1, 2007 during Akousma (4), presented by Réseaux at Monument-National’s Studio Hydro-Québec in Montréal. Thanks to the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), and the ZKM for their support.